


Without Trust, We Would Become Desolate

by dagas isa (dagas_isa)



Category: Liar Game
Genre: 1 Sentence Fiction, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-24
Updated: 2011-02-25
Packaged: 2017-10-07 04:16:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/61334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dagas_isa/pseuds/dagas%20isa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Single sentence stories about Akiyama Shinichi and Kanzaki Nao.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beta

01 - Walking  
Akiyama walks at a brisk pace, but not too fast that Nao can't keep up.

02 - Waltz  
"One...two...three..." Nao's voice murmurs low into his ear as she grins; it's odd to be the one teaching for a change.

03 - Wishes  
Nao wishes for two things now: For her father to live his remaining days in serenity and for Akiyama to finally find peace.

04 - Wonder  
Akiyama wipes the sweat from his brow and catches himself idly wondering what she's doing right now.

05 - Worry  
Without the other, who would ever consider their own individual fates?

06 - Whimsy  
"Don't laugh," Akiyama flourishes his cape and pulls the top hat down over his shaggy hair much to the amusement of a snickering Nao, "I'd make a great magician!"

07 - Waste/Wasteland  
That gentle look in her eyes, that small smile of hers, they remind Akiyama of an oasis in his desert.

08 - Whiskey and rum  
The one time Akiyama had gone out drinking with the guys from work...well, he'll spend the rest of his days making sure that Nao never hears of what he'd said about her.

09 - War  
That's the difference between them: Akiyama believes that all's fair in war; Nao believes the same for love.

10 - Weddings  
It's an unspoken agreement between them that the ceremony be kept simple, but Nao still wonders how she'd look in a fancy gown.

11 - Birthday  
When they show up on his doorstep, Nao holds a sloppy, homemade cake, and Fukunaga carries a bottle of cheap sake and a "blame her" look; it's the best birthday Akiyama's had in a long time.

12 - Blessing  
It's odd: The worst thing Nao's ever received (a glossy, black invitation) brought her to the best person she's ever met (a certain ex-swindler).

13 - Bias  
A rational mind always remains open to all possibilities, but Akiyama definitely exhibits an irrational preference for the naive type.

14 - Burning  
Nao hopes he'll never remember what happened during his fever; Akiyama knows he'll never want to forget.

15 - Breathing  
It's only when he exhales that Akiyama realizes that he's been holding his breath waiting for her to pull this off.

16 - Breaking  
Of all the betrayals she's faced so far, Akiyama's is the one that makes her fall apart, even as he does it for her own sake.

17 - Belief  
"Just believe in-- why am I telling the always-trusting-Nao to believe me?"

18 - Balloon  
"I did this when I was a child," Akiyama says (the first bit of his childhood, he's revealed to her), as Nao ties the letter to the balloon and lets the string slip through her hand and go towards the sky.

19 - Balcony  
Akiyama never said why, but when he and Nao searched for an apartment, he suggested something on ground level and definitely nothing with a balcony.

20 - Bane  
To Fukunaga's "How can you tolerate that idiot's presence?!" -- Akiyama can only smirk in response.

21 - Quiet  
They're dead silent on the way home, but still, neither refuses to let go of the other's hand.

22 - Quirks  
She's got plenty of quirks (Akiyama can attest to that), but even he can't catch her rare lies with any consistency.

23 - Question  
"What--" Akiyama has to choke out the question (even though he already knows the answer), " what exactly do you know about my past?"

24 - Quarrel  
"Stop lying!" The words are out of Nao's mouth before she can stop Akiyama from hearing them.

25 - Quitting  
When a whole day passes without her calling him, Akiyama knows better than to think she's given up--she's just waiting for him to give in.

26 - Jump  
Akiyama would do anything for her: how high he jumps is not a question of would but a question of can.

27 - Jester  
"I don't get it," Nao says, deliberately playing the fool just so she can keep hearing his voice.

28 - Jousting  
This time had to come eventually--when they'd have to fight the other--and they sit across from each other now, full of regret.

29 - Jewel  
If, in her darkest day, someone had asked her what kept her on the right side of the edge, Nao'd have mentioned a single precious feeling.

30 - Just  
In a fair world, they'd have gone their separate ways after the Liar Game; luckily, Akiyama has no qualms about cheating.

31 - Smirk  
Nao ends her heartfelt confession to check his reaction--a mere smirk--which is why he can surprise her with his embrace.

32 - Sorrow  
For once he doesn't tell her to stop crying; how can he-- he knows exactly how she feels.

33 - Stupidity  
She sighs--no matter how clever she tries to become, to him, she'll always be Nao, the foolishly honest girl.

34 - Serenade  
After two hours of Karaoke, he can safely say that Nao's natural talent does not lie in singing--no matter how cute she looks with a microphone.

35 - Sarcasm  
"You know..." Akiyama drolls, "when I said you should doubt people, I thought you'd be kind enough to make an exception for me."

36 - Sordid  
The one thing Nao will never admit; she enjoys watching Akiyama openly show his anguish--the proof that he trusts her, if only for a little bit.

37 - Soliloquy  
When he's not explaining, Akiyama speaks very little to others, except when it's her, and then the words just seem to pour out on their own.

38 - Sojourn  
"Let's go somewhere together, where the corporation can't possibly find us; think Antarctica would be far enough?"

39 - Share  
Nao's never been the greedy type, but even she'll admit there's someone she really doesn't care to share.

40 - Solitary  
He intended to lock himself in another kind of cell after he left prison, but even the best laid plans inadvertently go awry...

41 - Nowhere  
Just as always, she has nowhere else to turn; the shame fills her as she pulls out her phone and enters his number.

42 - Neutral  
"This is war; there's no such thing as neutrality, so I ask: Are you my ally?" Akiyama clenches her hand, already knowing the answer.

43 - Nuance  
"Don't mix it up," Akiyama warns her, "the difference between loyalty and love," but she already knows the distinction.

44 - Near  
It must be a kind of sickness--the way her heart threatens to leap through her throat, the way her blood rushes to her cheeks--so why does it only happen when he's right next to her?

45 - Natural  
Their first kiss is awkward--so awkward in fact that Akiyama anticipates they'll need extensive practice to make it natural; Nao agrees with him.

46 - Horizon  
When he's with her, Akiyama can see the vaguest hint of a future spreading out before them.

47 - Valiant  
No one would call Akiyama the knight Nao wishes for, but he'll be her hero for as long as she needs one.

48 - Virtuous  
When he watches her sleep, Akiyama imagines that he hasn't stolen away her innocence--and that she'll forgive everything.  
.  
49 - Victory  
Nao smiles sweetly as she spreads her ace-high flush on the table and claims her prize with a face as red as the hearts she used to win--"I'm allowed to request what you take off, right?"

50 - Defeat  
Akiyama's last thought before he gives in to Nao's hands on him: In some games, defeat is the desired outcome.


	2. Delta

01 - Air  
Akiyama has to learn--excruciatingly slowly--to simply trust that Nao can handle herself sometimes, and that holding in mouthful of air won't stop her from drowning anyway.

02 - Apples  
What Nao hadn't bargained for when the game ended and they decided to become more friendly was that Akiyama's reserved exterior hid a teasing nature that could turn her face the color of a ripe apple; of course, she could do exactly the same to him.

03 - Beginning  
Unconsciously, he always knew she wasn't going to swindle him, the moment they first bumped into each other, something in the rawness of her voice, and the ugliness of her tears convinced him in a way mere words could not.

04 - Bugs  
One of the most embarrassing--no probably the most embarrassing--thing Akiyama's ever had to do is watch helplessly as Nao quite calmly scoops up the spider and puts it outside; luckily she has to grace to only smile at his predicament.

05 - Coffee  
They spend hours, cups of coffee in hand, walking through the wintertime streets, not doing anything except talking, reminiscing about the times they had before they ever met, years of history to anchor their sudden acquaintence.

06 - Dark  
She's become afraid of the dark--silly because the monsters in her life show up in the afternoon and send invitations--to the point where she stares at the cell phone before she falls asleep, wondering if she can ask Akiyama to just be there.

07 - Despair  
When Nao despairs, which is often considering the humongous amount of debt she owes to a mysterious and shady organization, Akiyama is the firm hand around her wrist, the one who pulls her from the edge of the cliff.

08 - Doors  
Nao finally enlists Akiyama's help in dealing with one harmless but annoying pest: When the fake lawyer comes knocking at her door, it only takes one glare on Akiyama's part, and a simple command to hand over the invitation to make the lawyer leave her alone, for now.

09 - Drink  
The spend the evening after the Contraband game in a seedy bar, drinking sake, and making jokes about mice; an odd, and much needed break after three days of psychological testing and torture.

10 - Duty  
Well, if she ever asked, Akiyama would pretend that he helps her out of a sense of duty--he's honed some horrible skills, if he has to use them, he'd rather use them in the pursuit of justice--but the truth it, her smile makes it worth it.

11 - Earth  
She sometimes gets the feeling that Akiyama rests on the verge of sacrificing himself, that he's choosing to distance himself from her for that very reason; shouldn't he know already that she's still going to follow him to the ends of the Earth?

12 - End  
When it ends, the months and months of lies suspicion and betrayal, Nao chokes on the words that might possibly make Akiyama stay with her, and in sudden inaction chooses to let him go.

13 - Fall  
Nao can't recall the number of traps she's fallen into in the name of helping Akiyama, but no matter how many times her common sense takes a vacation in his name, he still just shakes his head and offers a helping hand.

14 - Fire  
The first time they touch, intentionally on both their parts, they draw back immediately, their cheeks blushing like a fire as they seem to ask each other, "You too?"

15 - Flexible  
He's got that smirk on his face, the one that says his opponent--Nao, in this case, is cornered--"I'm willing to be flexible on this: Either you can move in with me, I can move in with you, or we can get a place together."

16 - Flying  
This, Akiyama thinks after he's just taken Nao home from their date--their first real date--is difficult to explain: His feet remain quite solidly on the pavement, but his mind--and particularly his heart--might as well be soaring from the high of certain neurotransmitters, particularly those associated with falling in love.

17 - Food  
When the games run more than one day, Akiyama makes it a point to eat with Nao...not that he particularly wants to, just to make sure she keeps her strength up for the strenuous battles ahead.

18 - Foot  
After the second day of the contraband game ends, Akiyama goes to Nao's room to ask a huge favor of her, and then finds himself weirdly distracted by the fact that he can see the feet, ankles, and calves that her boots covered during the day.

19 - Grave  
Tearfully, Nao lays the bouquet of flowers on the Akiyama family grave for the woman she'll never meet, just to say thank you for raising such a wonderful son.

20 - Green  
Akiyama won't admit it but he's irked--and maybe a little jealous--at how easily the leechers can call her "Nao-chan" so easily, while he can't seem to call her anything but, "You."

21 - Head  
Nao can't fathom what he's thinking half the time--it must be so big and complex that she couldn't even start to understand--so she doesn't know what to make of it when he just looks at her and smirks.

22 - Hollow  
When Nao realizes, all at once, that even in a crowd, she feels lonely--empty--that always seems to be the time that Akiyama sends his messages, to reassure her that he's still there.

23 - Honor  
He's never been quite entirely without honor--but does he really trust himself, when she stands at the door of his room in her pajamas (and carrying that teddy bear) asking if it's okay to sleep with him (because of course she's been having bad dreams)?

24 - Hope  
Nao lingers at the place where the cab drops them off, hoping, hoping, that he'll say something stupid like, "Let's go to the amusement park," or "Let's get together sometime,"--and then she remembers that Akiyama is Akiyama and not the hero of a shoujo manga.

25 - Light  
When asked why he keeps helping Nao out, even when her stupidity has more than justified leaving her in debt, Akiyama just shrugs; he doesn't say the truth, that she found the light in him that he was sure had been extinguished, and that in itself deserves some kind of commendation.

26 - Lost  
Akiyama purposefully keeps Nao's fate entwined with his and dependent on him, that he'd be almost--almost--as lost without her is a reason he keeps buried below his consciousness.

27 - Metal  
They marry in a private ceremony, Nao's name in his family register, and the silver rings they now wear on their fingers, being the only official and public declaration of their new bond with each other.

28 - New  
Nao gazes down at the newest member of the Akiyama family--her son--and wonders if he'll wind up inheriting his father's brains and his kindness.

29 - Old  
"The age difference doesn't mean anything," Nao says blushing, when Akiyama asks if she'd rather be with someone her own age, "I'd just rather have you."

30 - Peace  
It's only after everything, when the Liar Game Tournament becomes a distant memory to share with no one, that either of them realizes that peace only means so much when their greatest ally is so far away.

31 - Poison  
No matter what the evidence he presents to her--all the scams he's pulled, all the lies he's told--all to keep her at arm's length, it seems he cannot do anything to poison this "hero worship" she seems to have for him, until he admits that he depends on her too.

32 - Pretty  
Akiyama lets it slip just once, when she's in the middle of yet another teary-eyed lament, that he actually finds her to be pretty when she's not all snot nosed and blotchy from crying.

33 - Rain  
Briefly--because Nao deserves much better than an ex-con for a boyfriend--he considers standing her up on the date she's forcing him to go on, and it's only because the weather predicts rain and he knows how long she can wait (and definitely not because he wants to see her again) that he shows up at the designated spot to wait for her.

34 - Regret  
One unspoken regret exists between them: That more and more, as the tangled vines of debt that connect them dig in deeper, they simply cannot extricate the other from its hold.

35 - Roses  
He holds out the bouquet of mixed flowers, and mumbles something about not being able to afford roses, only to have Nao smile knowningly and thank him.

36 - Secret  
No matter how much Nao tried to remain merely cordial, her crush on him only grew more obvious with every round, an open secret at best; how Akiyama never figured that out despite his considerable brainpower, no one was quite sure.

37 - Snakes  
Akiyama considers getting a pet--a snake seems oddly appealing, just for their mouse-eating habits--but upon seeing the horror on Nao's face, he decides something cuter and fluffier might be in order.

38 - Snow  
Just when he thinks he can finally trust her without reservations, he feels the puff of a snowball hitting his winter coat and turns to find her grinning and carrying the evidence of her misdeeds on her mittens; when he chases after her seeking retribution, he realizes that was the entire point.

39 - Solid  
Throughout the course of the game, friends, enemies, and by-standers pass by in what seems to be a people-colored whirl, leaving each other as the only solid, dependable presence.

40 - Spring  
If his choice of time and place for his proposal to her (spring, after graduation, with the cherry blossoms in bloom all around them) is romantic, then his choice of words serves as a counterpoint (a simple, "You should marry me").

41 - Stable  
Sometimes, Nao realizes just how troublesome her situation is, when the most stable presence in her life belongs to a notorious con-artist, and when she decides that she wouldn't have it any other way.

42 - Strange  
"Really, Fukunaga has a crush on me, how strange..." Akiyama trails off, leaving Nao to think that from her perspective, having a crush on Akiyama isn't strange at all.

43 - Summer  
Akiyama's relaxed at the beach, umbrella shielding him from the worst of the sun, novel in hand, when he thinks he catches a glimpse of Nao in a bikini--and remarkably, that's enough to make him lose his concentration for the rest of the day, as he tries to find her.

44 - Taboo  
For years, they keep the fact that Nao has known about his past long before Akiyama found the courage to tell her, unspoken; it bothers him more than it should, that she always knew.

45 - Ugly  
Nao can avoid telling her father the ugly truth, by focusing on a much more simple and beautiful one--she has someone out in the world who she can count on.

46 - War  
Yeah, it might be fought over loads of money with weapons that are no more deadly than your average run-of-the-mill lies, but it's a war, and he shouldn't want to return to the battlefield, especially not for a reason as irrational as Nao Kanzaki.

47 - Water  
As she's yelling at him--who knew that Nao had such a volatile temper when it came to such things as shrugging off illnesses--she still sits at the side of his bed wringing excess water out of washcloths to cool down his fever.

48 - Welcome  
Akiyama "welcomes" the news that there's going to be a baby soon with a moment of jaw-dropped silence followed by a murmured "Ah...that's fine, I guess," and a small smile.

49 - Winter  
Worst blizzard in years, small apartment, no power, and only one blanket for them to share--Akiyama couldn't have planned it better if he tried; though he'd be shocked to find out he wasn't the only one thinking that.

50 - Wood  
Nao admits that sometimes, she wishes she'd spent more time hanging around guys outside the Liar Game, and then perhaps she wouldn't have to ask Akiyama why she kept overhearing all of them talk about her in connection with carpentry...and why they all went eerily silent when she speaks up about it.


	3. Alpha

01 - Comfort

Nao's used to it by now: One moment Akiyama will say something to make her panic; the very next he'll say something to reassure her.

02 - Kiss

The touching of their lips is an impulsive, reckless, unexpected event, and it's exactly what they need to break through this paranoia.

03 - Soft

Once, during the Contraband Game, Akiyama nearly went to Nao's room, hoping to feel just a little bit of her softness before the game burned it all away.

04 - Pain

When Akiyama finally puts his pain into words, he speaks of it to Nao almost objectively as though he's recalling a plot he made years earlier; only when he falls silent does Nao realize how difficult it was for him to speak up.

05 - Potatoes

The meat and potato stew that Nao makes for him isn't quite what Akiyama is used to, but after two years of prison food, he won't complain.

06 – Rain

"You look pathetic," Akiyama says, opening the door to her; he's not going to let her stand out in the rain waiting for him.

07 - Chocolate

Just when he thinks nothing she can do will surprise him: She shows up to the next round (coincidentally Valentine's Day) and presents to him a box of homemade chocolates.

08 - Happiness

When Nao asks, "When was the last time you've been really happy?", Akiyama can't bear to tell her the truth.

09 - Telephone

Nao marks it on her calendar: The first time Akiyama has actually deigned to call her first.

10 - Ears

Since Akiyama gave her the lapis earrings (they symbolize truth, he said), Nao has never taken them off.

11 - Name

"You shouldn't call me Nao-chan anymore," she tells a shocked Miura, "I'm a married woman now."

12 - Sensual

It's not until she first lay kisses on Akiyama's chest that Nao began to find the smell of tobacco smoke to be particularly arousing; now she can't resist it.

13 - Death

"So...Mr. Kanzaki...I probably should have asked you this earlier," Akiyama stammers as he talks to the stone that marks the man's grave, "But I'd like permission to marry your daughter."

14 - Sex

When Nao asks about S and M again, Akiyama explains it to her—in explicit and graphic detail—only to have her take his hand and shyly ask if he can demonstrate.

15 - Touch

She touches him impulsively, as though laying hands on him is as natural as breathing; he touches her carefully, with every press and stroke of his fingers planned to precision.

16 - Weakness

The hands she clenches at her side shake, but the look in her eyes is determined and intense when she sets down her challenge; "I'll win, Akiyama-san, because I know your blind spot."

17 - Tears

"Stop crying..." Akiyama whispers to her as he holds Nao in his arms, "Crying won't solve a thing."

18 - Speed

Thorough study of street maps of Tokyo and the subway lines have already ingrained in Akiyama the fastest routes to Nao's home, her school, her favorite restaurant and the hospice where her father stays—in the unlikely case that he ever needs that information.

19 - Wind

They spend their first official date—no Liar Game, no debts—at the park, cajoling a stubborn kite to catch a summer breeze.

20 - Freedom

"I'll talk," Akiyama finally speaks when the police bring up a certain Kanzaki Nao, "but you keep her out of this."

21 – Life

Upon hearing the doctor's confirmation, Nao's instinctively places her hand on her stomach— where the new life that is her and Akiyama's family grows.

22 - Jealousy

Akiyama makes it very clear to the six leechers that they do not refer to her as "Nao-chan" but rather Kanzaki Nao, or Kanzaki Nao-san.

23 - Hands

When Nao tells him about the baby, Akiyama's shaking hand almost drops the cell phone—he can't imagine his reaction if the news had actually been a surprise.

24 - Taste

Akiyama spends an inordinate time trying to decide in his mind what her kisses taste like; when he's unable to do so, he determines that he needs more data.

25 - Devotion

Nao doesn't call what she feels towards Akiyama devotion—it's simply the certainty that the only path that exists for her runs side by side with his.

26 - Forever

They both know more than anyone, that even happy marriages don't last forever, but they speak the vow anyway: "To death do we part."

27 - Blood

Akiyama can't stand to see her despair; the very shadow of it in her expression takes him back to the one sight that changed the course of his life.

28 - Sickness

When Akiyama collapses from a fever, it's Nao that his co-workers call to tell; after all, she's the first number in his directory.

29 - Melody

The one time she manages to get him to do karaoke with her, Nao's almost impressed by the quality of his voice—even if he does blush and stumble over the lyrics.

30 - Star

The city lights are horrible for stargazing, but then Akiyama only uses that an excuse to lay next Nao and stare up at the sky.

31 - Home

It's strange, Nao thinks, as Akiyama's belongings begin to crowd her otherwise well-kept apartment--a book here, a sweatshirt there--that this place is starting to feel like a home.

32 - Confusion

When Akiyama finally—finally—makes his confession, Nao just spends the first seconds gaping at him as though he's just recited his master's thesis.

33 - Fear

They go into their marriage a little afraid—neither of them really has an example to go by, after all—but sure enough that they've already faced the worst.

34 - Lightning/Thunder

Pouring rain, loud noises, and flashing lights have never been on Akiyama's list of favorite things; but he can't complain about power outages and the ways he has to pass the time with his blushing girlfriend at his side.

35 - Bonds

Sure he's called himself one of Kanzaki Nao's possessions, but as far as he's concerned, that bond goes both ways.

36 - Market

Nao stands in the entrance of the grocery store, unable to decide whether to make meat or fish for Akiyama; she wants to make sure everything is perfect.

37 - Technology

It takes Nao several minutes at the library and the help of a confused-looking old woman, but Nao is actually able to find--and read--all the online news articles related to the Akiyama case; by the end, she can hardly see the computer screen through her tears.

38 - Gift

Even though he spurns any material rewards, Akiyama grudgingly accepts the favors she offers him (like making him a bento one time, or taking him out to a baseball game) because they fit into his plans.

39 - Smile

After hours of careful observation, Nao can actually tell when Akiyama's happy; the tiny, quiet smile he shows to her gives it away.

40 - Innocence

Akiyama doesn't know what's worse--the fact that the other players make lewd comments about Nao, or the fact that when she overhears them, she comes to him for an explanation.

41 - Completion

Her face is ugly with tears as she holds out her hand--his salvation--to him, "It's over, Akiyama-san, at last."

42 - Clouds

Nao knows her crush has gotten bad when she swears she can see his face in the cumulus clouds drifting by--all of them.

43 - Sky

"Nao, in this world of yours where everyone can be trusted, what color is the sky there?"

44 - Heaven

Akiyama sits back, book in hand, secretly observing his family from the sidelines and remembers when he couldn't even imagine things being this good.

45 - Hell

Akiyama keeps himself from getting too close to her for one reason: He never wants to go through hell again, but a voice inside tells him it's already too late.

46 - Sun

To her, Akiyama is like the sun, brilliant and illuminating, as long as she doesn't look too closely at him, but sometimes, she's willing to go blind if it means really seeing him.

47 - Moon

To him, Nao is like the moon, soft and feminine, a single peaceful light in his dark world; his job is to shine brightly enough so that she can keep reflecting without having to burn herself.

48 - Waves

"Trust me," Fukunaga says as Nao stares at the bikini (really a few patches of fabric held together with might generously be called fishing line), "Akiyama will go crazy if you wear this to the beach."

49 - Hair

"I don't care how gorgeous my eyes are, you are NOT cutting my bangs!"

50 - Supernova

Why is it, that more than any of the other horrible things he witnesses, it's her innocent and cheerful stupidity that strips away his cool mask and actually makes him explosively care?


	4. Gamma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 21 implies an Akiyama/Nao/Fukunaga arrangement.

01 – Rings

Akiyama's skill at sleight of hand--and how Nao never suspected he would have that skill puzzles him--means that by the time he actually deigns to ask (well, declare) that she marry him, the engagement ring is already on her finger.

02 – Hero

When he was small, Akiyama believed heroes wore spandex suits and drove giant robots; then he met one who wore home-sewn jumpers and made people dance to her tune of their own free will.

03 – Memory

Years later, when they go through the grievances of love and aging, the memory of the Liar Game stands out as the grim backdrop of their grand and quiet romance.

04 – Box

Akiyama buys her a pale blue scarf for Christmas, but the real gift—a reciprocation of her declaration of love—doesn't come in a box.

05 – Run

She has enough courage to hint at her feelings, but not enough to keep from running when he tries to make her say it outright; Akiyama is tired of playing tag.

06 – Hurricane

Nao arrives at his door with a small bag of belongings—the flooding has made her house unlivable, so Akiyama has no choice but to let her live with him.

07 – Wings

After their first night together, Nao feels like she can fly; an observation she doesn't share with Akiyama for fear that he'll explain it away as infatuation.

08 – Cold

After the first night they spend sleeping together—actually sleeping—Akiyama isn't sure he should thank or curse the corporation for their insistence on over air-conditioning everything.

09 – Red

The flapping of that signature red dress in the wind punctuates the images of Nao in his dreams.

 

10 – Drink

The night the game ends, they hold a toast for surviving this ordeal together; later—after enough drinks—they toast again this time as a couple.

 

11 – Midnight

They cope with their personal tragedies over late-night monster movies with one rule: Don't ask me about my nightmares, and I won't poke at yours.

12 – Temptation

The final rounds held a deadly temptation: just put themselves in the hands and refuse to let such a horrible situation bar them from a wonderful togetherness.

13 – View

As Akiyama stretches in the morning sun that streams in from the bedroom window, Nao admires the way the wiry muscles of his shoulders are illuminated.

14 – Music

Nao's voice had a melodic sound to it, especially when she was working her courage up to suggest something fun.

15 – Silk

There was a certain smoothness to Akiyama's voice that made Nao think of cool silk—especially once he started using it to seduce her.

16 – Cover

They probably should wake up, but Akiyama pulls the quilt over them and kisses Nao's earlobe when she curls up closer to him.

17 – Promise

The one promise Akiyama makes Nao is the same one he draws from her: "I'll be by your side."

18 – Dream

The only dreams more insidious than the nightmares that had haunted him in prison are the entirely unexpected and perfect ones of Kanzaki Nao's heat.

19 – Candle

Nao admires the shadow of Akiyama's body as he fumbles around in search of a candle and wonders if the power shouldn't go out on their movie nights more often.

20 – Talent

That Nao's mouth can rapid-fire shoot statements that make Akiyama constantly blush (and completely unintentionally, probably) is the talent of hers he appreciates the least.

21 – Silence

Akiyama rants and raves about inviting Fukunaga into their arrangement until Nao silences him with a reassuring kiss.

22 – Journey

After the game, Akiyama finds his life at a sort of crossroad: Take the path that's best for her—leave her alone to a normal life with someone besides an ex-convict, or take the path that he wants and stay by hers side; fortunately, she makes the choice by taking his wrist and asking to walk with him.

23 – Fire

Nao keeps one secret from Akiyama—telling him that she knows of his history because of a tournament official seems like unnecessarily fanning a flame.

24 – Strength

The strength it took Akiyama to destroy an MLM was less than the strength it takes now to not try and draw closer to Nao until they're both safe.

25 – Mask

Whenever Akiyama thinks he's gotten to the bottom of Nao's good-spiritedness—that he's finally going to see the dark core behind the cheerful mask—he finds nothing beneath that sweetness but a strong knot of light.

26 – Ice

When Nao's father discovers her association with a ex-swindler nearly a decade older than her, his reaction is chilly at best—she wonders what would happen if he realized how quickly Akiyama has become the biggest thing in her heart.

27 – Fall

It's not so much a fall as a slow descent: At first he helps her only because he doesn't want to be responsible for any more pain, and then he wakes up and realizes just how much she matters.

28 – Forgotten

Akiyama tells her it's better if she forgets him, but right now, Nao has evidence that she never will.

29 – Dance

Nao rests her head against Akiyama's chest; his hands go around her waist, and he thinks if he had known dancing would be like this, he'd have suggested this earlier.

30 – Body

When Nao wishes to hide her body from his view—even though he's already touched most of it—Akiyama indulges her, and when she reveals it to him, he lets his hands give the necessary praise since his mouth appears to have gone dry.

31 – Sacred

In part, they seal their growing feelings away from the game just so the constant lying and manipulations don't taint the seed of something pure that emerges.

32 – Farewells

At the end of the game, Akiyama always waits for her; they leave together and say their good-byes out of the way of any officials.

33 – World

The would-be Liar King says to her consort: "I don't want the world, Akiyama-san, just you and a normal life."

34 – Formal

Akiyama insists on getting permission from her father before they sign the papers that will marry them—"We might as well do this properly."

35 – Fever

When their daughter Ai gets a fever, they make a good team: Nao sitting by her side with a damp cloth, while Akiyama administers the requisite doses of aspirin and umeboshi.

36 – Laugh

Nao has this habit of staring at him when he laughs; when he asks why, Nao only smiles: "It's nice to hear you happy."

37 – Lies

He told the worst lie to protect her: "Let them think this was only a fling; be my victim, not my accomplice."

38 – Forever

"Is it really 'only a fling' if it never ends?" Nao asks, years after they reunite.

39 – Overwhelmed

Akiyama thought he had covered everything when he made his initial plan to destroy the corporation, then he realized, belatedly, that he utterly failed to take any precautions against falling in love with his co-conspirator—and now, he's stuck in the deluge of a thousand intense and simultaneous feelings all threatening to obliterate the logic in him; it's quite overwhelming.

40 – Whisper

"You two are so annoying when you're obviously conspiring," Fukunaga says, apparently unaware their whispers were related to an entirely different type of collaboration.

41 – Wait

The waiting has become ingrained in them, so much so, that their first moves towards each other have to happen as gigantic leaps because baby steps are no longer effective in closing the distance between them.

42 – Talk

Nao knits her fingers together and tries to rehearse a few lines of conversation that have nothing to do with common swindles.

43 – Search

Akiyama's vow to leave her alone after the game ends for three days, and that only because he spends that time ruminating over the best way to coincidentally run into her and make contact again.

44 – Hope

Akiyama can't name the particular feature—the radiant smile, the fiercely sweet look in her eyes framed by long lashes, her gentle and clumsy way of walking—but she looks like hope to him.

45 – Eclipse

Akiyama warns her that staying with him probably won't be easy; Nao understands what he's saying, but thinks that the joy of simply being with him eclipses the power of all those concerns.

46 – Gravity

Nao's soft mention of love is what finally makes Akiyama acknowledge that his life has fallen inextricably in orbit around hers.

47 – Highway

They drive four hours along the highways and back roads of Honshu, until they arrived at a small cabin that Akiyama accidentally discovered (at least Nao believes that; Akiyama thinks it better not to mention how long he spent looking).

48 – Unknown

"Akiyama-san, I don't think even you can know for sure where this love will lead us."

49 – Lock

At the start of their first night together, Nao spends an inordinate time trying to fit her key into the lock to her apartment—before she realizes that she's actually holding the key to her mailbox.

50 – Breathe

Akiyama takes for granted that Nao will dress nicely—in clothes she's sewn herself, no less—but the first time she really dresses up for him, he discovers his breath almost quite literally taken away by the results.


	5. Epsilon

01 – Motion

Akiyama entertains her one night with parlor tricks, and then later helping her learn the very motions that originally fooled her eyes.

02 – Cool

Sometimes, Nao could see why people thought Akiyama cool, but she prefers him as a real, fumbling person.

03 – Young

On a random afternoon, a student at Teito University has no idea why the shouts of a girl in a junior high uniform should inspire the solution to the puzzle he’s been struggling with to appear finally, nor does he know that five years later, a much older him will become her co-conspirator.

04 – Last

Before the last round starts, Akiyama might have casually mentioned that he’d take her out to celebrate afterwards if she did well; even he was amazed at deviousness she showed that time.

05 – Wrong

Akiyama hoped that telling her to doubt people would make her marginally less trusting of their fellow players; so much for that idea.

06 – Gentle

Nao vaguely remembers a promise Akiyama made to her earlier that evening—something about being gentle with her—but very quickly discovers that a soft touch is the last thing she wants right then.

07 – One

At Nao’s insistence, Akiyama stays one night with her before he does the best thing for her and leave her behind, and then, when she asks again in the morning, one more, and then another; he realizes early what her trick is, yet he "falls" for it every time.

08 – Thousand

A thousand nights later, Nao celebrates her silent victory when Akiyama admits that he fully intends to stay with her.

09 – King

In the end, neither Akiyama Shinichi nor Kanzaki Nao became the Liar King, but then, they were content with what they walked away with: each other.

10 – Learn

“We’ve both learned a lot from each other,” Nao said with one of her radiant smiles, and Akiyama found himself shocked that he couldn’t disagree.

11 – Blur

As their time working together goes on, the lines between the one who gives help and the one who needs it blurs until neither of them can really say anything more than they need each other.

12 – Wait

Akiyama has made waiting stoically for the correct moment his modus operandi, but until Nao accepts his awkward marriage proposal with a blushing nod and a soft “Yes” he finds the urge to shake her for an answer nearly impossible to resist.

13 – Change

Akiyama holds back and smiles while Nao returns a 100 yen coin she found on the pavement during one of their walks to the police booth; some things never change.

14 – Command

Since the Contraband Game, speculation had been rife amongst the other players as to which of the two was actually in command, and through what means.

15 – Hold

The smell of laundry soap—in particular the brand Akiyama uses to wash his shirts—becomes inextricably linked to the feeling of his arms wrapping around her and the warmth of his chest.

16 – Need

Akiyama made it a month away from her after the game ended, then the whim—actually something more of a pressing need he couldn’t admit to—hit him that he needed to make sure she wasn’t getting scammed again.

17 – Vision

Akiyama has no ability to see the future—even if on occasion he might have pretended to it—but even a rational forecast of what might be in store looks brighter than it did before his entanglements with Nao.

18 – Attention

Akiyama can’t quite recall the moment when he stopped paying attention to the signs Nao might betray him, and started to pay attention to the signs that maybe, she did find something worth redeeming in him.

19 – Soul

Admittedly, Akiyama doesn't believe in the idea of a soul, but if he did, he'd be 97.5% sure that he and Nao were soulmates; the other 2.5% would be a margin of error.

20 – Picture

Nao looks at her most precious family portrait, herself, her husband Shinichi, their first child, and her father all together for one moment.

21 – Fool

"I'm not as foolish as I look, Akiyama-san; I know this is exactly what we both want."

22 – Mad

Deep down, Akiyama wasn't exactly surprised that Nao was the one to show up when he collapsed from fever; he was, however, surprised at how livid she became afterwards once she heard how he ended up like that.

23 – Child

As hard as it was to describe their bond sometimes, Akiyama knew for sure she wasn’t the little sister he never had; for her part, Nao was grateful for that.

24 – Now

“Maybe,” and Nao smiles at an Akiyama who marvels at her transformation as she says this, “I’ve always been this strong.”

25 – Shadow

Though he vows to leave their final goodbye as final, Akiyama does occasionally look out from the shadows at her, just to make sure she's not getting into any more impossible situations.

26 – Goodbye

Akiyama watches Nao—to make sure that she really does walk away, no other reason—and curses himself for letting her go.

27 – Hide

Hard as she tries to hide it, Nao worries that little signs of her affection are being to slip out of her grasp; that's fine: Akiyama hasn't been concealing his too well either.

28 – Fortune

It was the unhesitating ease with which Nao returned a small fortune to her teacher that first ignited the flicker of "yes, I need to know her" in Akiyama's brain.

29 – Safe

Nao doesn’t think it's weird that she's never felt as safe as she does in the presence of a former con-artist.

30 – Ghost

Something small Akiyama appreciates about Nao: she makes believing in ghosts fun.

31 – Book

When Nao begins to take psychology courses, Akiyama spends his time at her place tutoring her and writing corrections in the margins of her textbooks.

32 – Eye

Nao likes to imagine that as she and Akiyama spend more time together, the weariness in his eyes diminishes.

33 – Never

Three things Akiyama promised himself after getting out of prison: Never swindle again, never trust anyone, and never fall in love; all three of those were broken within a season.

34 – Sing

"Nao, really, you can stop singing," Fukunaga says the morning after Nao and Akiyama finally got to kiss.

35 – Sudden

She's not sure when, exactly, she started liking him that way; one day, he was someone who helped her out while she did her best to return the favor, the next, he became someone who made her blush with a single glance.

36 – Stop

"Nao," Akiyama gasps against her mouth, though he's just as reluctant to stop this impromptu make-out session as much as she appears to be "we need to hold back, for now."

37 – Time

Nao feels the time they spend together during the Liar Game feels like a sort of limbo: on one hand, never being able to advance in the way she thinks they both want to; on the other, never being able to definitively part for too long.

38 – Wash

As Akiyama runs the sponge over the subtle curves of Nao's back, he leans in and very quietly kisses the hollow of her neck.

39 – Torn

Unlike so many other times when his conscience is torn between doing the right thing and doing the pleasurable thing; when deciding whether to pursue his interest in Nao after the game, Akiyama chooses the more pleasing course and promises himself that he'll make it the right thing for both of them.

40 – History

When the battle ends, Akiyama holds Nao, almost as much to reassure himself that history hasn’t repeated itself as just for the simple peace of it.

41 – Power

Nao realizes long before Akiyama does that she has the power to destroy him and immediately makes a promise to herself to never use it.

42 – Bother

"Troublesome," Akiyama concludes as he takes a place next to the snoring Nao on his futon; yet, he falls asleep with a smile on his face.

43 – God

Nao reads the _omikuji_ she bought from the shrine and almost laughs when she sees the "best luck" fortune with regards to her love life; she looks at Akiyama and supposes the fortune is true enough.

44 – Wall

They might be making a mistake, Akiyama thinks as he pins Nao to the wall and she begins pulling at his clothing, but for once they deserve to not have to move subtly.

45 – Naked

Nao's fingers fumble over the cloth concealing Akiyama's naked body from her.

46 – Drive

Akiyama has never seen someone so driven as Nao—especially towards something as foolish as saving every last flawed member of the human race, including him—but her passion has infected him too, it seems.

47 – Harm

No matter how much Akiyama tells himself he's in this game to take down the corporation; the truth is, the thought of Nao coming to harm makes more than just his conscience talk to

48 – Precious

While they play the game, Nao keeps her feelings for Akiyama close to her chest and nurses them until the moment she can reveal exactly how much he matters to her.

49 – Hunger

She does get his clothes off, eventually, and devours him with a greed Akiyama would have never suspected of her.

50 – Believe

"I believe in you," is all Akiyama says, but Nao hears a whole other confession.


End file.
